Our Last Chance to Happily Ever After
by TheSecretDreamer
Summary: My take on the Tartarus Arc and what happens after. Fairy Tail (and the rest of the magical world) is battling Tartarus to stop Zeref and his demons once and for all. Everyone knows this is their last chance and they are willing to give their everything to ensure their future. I ship a lot of pairings. Mainly Jerza.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first time writing a fic so please go easy on me. However, I would love to hear from you! It would really mean a lot if you R&R :) You would notice there are sentences in italics, it means that they are THOUGHTS and not dialogues. I ship a lot of pairings: JeRza, NaLu, GrUvia, MirAxus, ElfGreen, RomeoxWendy, CanaxFried, CobraxKinana... and a lot more! Please support me! Arigatou Gozaimasu, minna!  
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**Disclaimer: I do NOT (no matter I want it to be) own Fairy Tail. It belongs to the brilliant mind of Hiro Mashima.**

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_Erza… Erza is in trouble… Because of him. When will he ever stop bringing suffering to her?_ That was all Jellal could think of when Doranbolt broke the news about Fairy Tail.

Doranbolt tracked down Jellal in the hopes that the latter would stick to his end of the deal and turn Oracion Seis into allies. He knew Jellal could make it happen, he has proved, time and time again, that the fugitive in front of him is really a changed man or as Ultear claimed, back to his old self. As Doranbolt relayed the news to the new Crime Sorciere, he can see Jellal's soul die through his emerald eyes despite the lack of facial expression. It was just like 7 years ago when Tenrou Island disappeared, taking Fairy Tail's top members along with it. Is this history's cruel way of repeating itself? Only this time, the guildhall was left devastated but at least it's still there while not a single member could be found. No bodies, and not even a single drop of blood, therefore there is reason to believe that Fairy Tail is alive somewhere, somehow. He knew Tartarus, the last corner of the Balam Alliance, is involved and as he revealed of a possible mass kidnapping to the fugitives, all eight people fell into silence, still processing everything he just narrated. They are not sure if Tartarus was indeed involved but it sure is possible. To think Tartarus managed to kidnap a whole guild full of the best mages in Fiore, just how powerful Tartarus really is? They can't just blindly storm their headquarters and do whatever since they do not even know where it is in the first place. That dark guild's silence throughout the years provided them with no information. Not even the rest of the Balam Alliance were given enough information.

"Cubellios," it was Cobra who broke the silence.

Everybody looked at him as he closed his eyes and did what he knows best: whispering to his dear friend.

_Kinana,_ he thought, _where are you?_ Silence. _Kinana! Kinana! Kinana! Kinana!_ If his inner voice were actually a voice, it would be hoarse by now because of the desperate calls going on in his mind. _Kinana! Answer me! Damn it!_ Just when he was about to give up this seemingly futile pursuit, he heard her: _Eric! Eric! Help us! It's a mess, and people are fighting everywhere! The demons are overpowering us!_ Cobra felt a sense of relief and fear at the same time. At least now he knows Fairy Tail, especially his dear Cubellios, is alive but of course, they are still in danger. She mentioned demons.

"Tartarus." he confirmed to the group.

Being a part of the Balam Alliance can finally work to their advantage even though they don't know much. What little information they have is still better than having nothing at all. Without second thoughts, all eight people left with great haste, leaving Doranbolt alone to make sure that the magical world would not crumble the way the council did. Brain, Angel, Racer, Midnight and Hoteye may not be as bent in saving Fairy Tail as the other three but they knew Jellal was right. They suffered much because of Zeref and they will not allow the same fate befall the others.

_Erza… wait for me._ Jellal could not shake the bad feeling that chose to occupy the bottom of his stomach. He remembered the time when Doranbolt broke the news about Tenrou Island, he felt lost and hopeless. This feeling is similar but as each step takes him closer to Tartarus' headquarters, he also feels his resolve strengthen. No, this was not like 7 years ago. This time, he can do something. This time, he will definitely save Erza. He knew he had to trust Cobra, as the man is as desperate as he is. Using Cobra's keen sense, they were able to pinpoint the headquarters' exact location. Not too long after, they can see the massive block hovering in the distance. With a spike in adrenaline and a boost in magic, they ran twice as fast to their destination.

"Tell me where Jellal is!" Kyouka demanded with a flick of her talon across the redhead's left side.

"No!" Erza screamed in pure agony as she saw her own blood leaving her already battered body yet again. She herself was surprised with how much blood she has or is it just her mind playing tricks on her eyes. She's lost track of how long she was kept at that place, after all. _Even if I knew where he is, like hell would I tell you._ Erza's body may be nearing its breaking point, but her spirit remained intact. _Jellal… please… Be safe. _

"No matter. I will find him, with or without you. You were never meant to be here in the first place. It was that blasted useless, old man who brought you here. I just wanted to have some fun while you were here." Kyouka stated followed by a shrill laugh.

As soon as Crime Sorciere reached the surface, the octet started assisting Fairy Tail in battling the demons. Cobra came just in time to block a surprise attack from a demon that would no doubt be fatal to Kinana. Jellal whipped his head when he heard his precious Scarlet's plea as he sent heavenly beams to a group of demons surrounding Cana. From where he is standing, he can see Cobra and Kinana's bittersweet reunion as he began searching for a certain redhead but luck doesn't seem to be on his side. Just then, a massive explosion caused a big hole to appear with a familiar pink haired male being thrown out. Using Meteor, Jellal was able to grab Natsu and settle both of them to the other side of the hole.

"Where's Erza?" Jellal asked, not wanting to waste any more precious time.

"I don't know but I know she's inside. Try the east wing that's where I sensed her when I came in." Natsu admitted looking away. He could not bear to look at the hopeful man in front of him when he, himself, failed in his own rescue mission. "Hurry!" He added.

"Thanks Natsu. At least now I know she really is here." Jellal replied and with the blink of an eye, Natsu was left alone with his mouth agape. This seemed to bring a new bout of hope to Natsu and at that instance, he noticed very familiar faces fighting with all their might everywhere. His family is here.

With a smirk, he yelled, "All right! I'm all fired up!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Same as before, italics are thoughts not dialogues. Please review so I would know how I am doing. :) Hopefully, you would enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: No matter what I do, I will never own Fairy Tail. All rights go to Hiro Mashima.**

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"You! Wake up!" Kyouka kept slapping Erza's face left and right. She passed out once again. _Seriously, how weak can Titania really be? What a shame. _"It's no fun if I don't hear you scream, you know." The demon added. With a frustrated and forceful slap to her right cheek, Erza groaned. Kyouka let a sinister smile form at her lips. "Good. Because I still haven't done the… finale, as I like to call it."

"Just kill me. Please." Erza begged. She was in too much pain that she no longer cared about anything else. She just wanted everything to stop and be at peace. _Jellal… I'm sorry… I tried. Really. I love you._

"My pleasure." Kyouka replied. Torturing the requip mage is no longer fun. Scarlet passes out more frequently and longer each time. Just like any of her human toys, if she's no longer having fun, they are to be disposed. Immediately. She needed the requip mage awake because of the last cry Titania will ever utter in her life which she won't be able to do when she's knocked out cold. Dying breaths are always music to her ears. The best kind. "Say your prayers. If anybody can hear you that is." The demon continued mockingly. Erza's eyes widened as she saw Kyouka's right pointer claw enlarge to that as the size of a sword. She can't help the tears from forming in her eyes as she watch the she-devil walk menacingly, pointing her claw directly to her heart. Despite her tears, Erza willed herself to shoot the demon the sharpest glare she could muster. _I will not go down looking pathetic._ Erza convinced herself while bracing for the pain that claw will make as it tears through her.

"Goodbye, Scar-" Kyouka stopped in her tracks as her expression changed to surprise then her whole body glowed yellow as she dropped face first to the ground. As Kyouka fell, a black figure was revealed against the light coming from the doorway. When Erza blinked away her tears, the shadow disappeared. At that same instant, she felt her shackles free simultaneously. The sudden release caught Erza off guard that she was not able to support herself. Before she hit the cold stone floor, however, she felt a strong arm catch her by the waist and another wrapping a large cloth around her naked form.

The last thing she remembered hearing before slipping out of consciousness again is a familiar voice reassuring her. "Shh. Stay here for a bit and I promise I will come back for you." Jellal watched Erza's face contract before her head fell sideways peacefully against the wall. Standing up, he balled his fist in anger until his knuckles turned white as he remembered the moment he saw Erza helplessly chained to the wall covered in bruises, wounds and blood. He knew somebody will pay for this with their life and he's got the perfect person right in the room to feel his wrath. He turned around just in time to see the demon getting back to her feet.

"Jellal" She greeted in delight. "We were waiting for you. You missed the show. You should've seen how your beloved begged for her life. Pathetic." With her taunting, Jellal was not able to contain his anger any longer and delivered a series of punches and kicks to the demon with all his strength, taking advantage of the speed his meteor spell granted him. Kyouka found herself on the ground once more but this time, she's coughing up black demon blood. Jellal knows from his involvement in the Tower of Heaven that Kyouka is not good for battle. Her curse is heightening the senses which is ideal for torture and getting information out of captured victims but nothing else. If he wanted to win, he has to do it fast.

"You are despicable." Jellal seethed while putting both his hands together with 7 fingers held up. "Be judged by the seven stars: GRAND CHARIOT!" He yelled. Seven magic circles appeared above the demoness, releasing an immense amount of power towards the target. When the bright light dissipated, a pile of ash can be seen from where Kyouka once laid.

Turning back his full attention to Erza, he cradled her sleeping form close to his chest and let his emotions take over. Guilt and sorrow first filled his mind but he brushed it away as soon as he realized that Erza is alive and would undoubtedly be okay, his initial emotions being replaced with relief and happiness. First things first, he has to get Erza in a safe place and take care of her wounds. Carrying her bridal style, he went out to the hallway to find a room decent enough to treat Erza. Not far from the prison chamber, he finally found a room with a long table and proceeded to put Erza gently on it. He blushed as he caught a peek at the redhead's bare shoulders, remembering seeing her stark naked earlier. No matter how badly injured she is, she can still make him unreasonably flustered. Shaking his head, he established a connection to Meredy via telepathy.

_Meredy._ Jellal called to her partner. _I found Erza! I need you to help me treat her. She was badly hurt._ It took a few seconds before he heard a response.

_Got it. Sorry, I was helping Juvia protect the injured while they were being treated._ Came the hurried reply of the pink-haired mage. _Where?_

_East wing, 5th floor, first door to your left. Be careful!_ With that, Jellal disconnected from Meredy. Opting to stand guard outside the door, he slowly made his way to Erza and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before going to the direction of the door. He didn't want to leave Erza alone but he cannot let his guard down especially if she's in a very vulnerable state. He would not leave anything to chance. With a final glance to her lovely face, he closed the door behind him.

Ten uneventful minutes passed by until he heard running footsteps echoing in the hallway. He readied himself for possible combat but relaxed when he saw Meredy's pink hair. Judging from how fast she got to his location and lack of demons roaming the corridors, all of Tartarus' forces must be concentrated at the hole Natsu created. Both the mages acknowledged each other with a nod with Jellal opening the door to let his partner in.

"I think I'd better stay out here just in case someone comes along." Jellal stated. With another nod and Jellal closing the door, Meredy proceeded to take out her emergency first aid kit and treat her friend. She is Crime Sorciere's medic which makes her very capable of handling Erza even if she's alone. Jellal has already taken the liberty of placing Erza somewhere that would make it easier for her to do her job. As she lifted the coat, she saw that the requip mage is naked. The realization why Jellal wanted to stay outside came with a chuckle. She started cleaning the wounds before wrapping them up with fresh bandages.

It took awhile before Meredy is sure that every single one of Erza's wounds are taken cared of because there are just too many to count. She shuddered at the thought of what the poor redhead was subjected to by looking at her gashes. Just when she was finishing up the last bandage on her arm, Erza started waking up. Meredy carefully put herself within the requip mage's line of sight to avoid startling her. This is still Titania in front of her and God only knows what she is capable of when caught off guard. To the redhead's surprise, she didn't see Kyouka or any of her menacing claws but instead, it was Meredy with a big smile that came into view.

"What happened? Where am I?" Erza inquired while attempting to sit up.

Meredy put a hand on her shoulder to prevent Erza from straining. "We found you just in time. I was just finished taking care of your injuries." Meredy informed her friend.

"Thank you. Really. I thought I was done for." Erza closed her eyes while confessing her rare moment of weakness.

"No, don't thank me! I'm here just to perform damage control. You should be thanking him." Erza's eyes shot open when Meredy said the last word as her heart started beating unevenly. "Stay here. I'll call him in." Meredy stopped in her tracks as she looked back to stare at the redhead with an amused expression. "Oh, and Erza, you might want to put some clothes on." With that, the door opened and closed after her.

Blushing, Erza quickly requipped into her usual clothes: a white sleeveless shirt and a blue skirt sans the brown knee-high boots. She noticed her arms. She can tell how extensive the damage is based on the amount of bandages wrapped around her. She successfully sat up to get a better look at her legs when the door opened and closed again. Remembering who it may possibly be, she looked up and met the worried gaze of the man she loves head on. She gave him a small smile, a simple gesture that is enough to crumble all the walls Jellal had put up to smithereens. His feet started moving on his own until he found himself beside her. Throwing all logic out of the window, he kissed her on the lips. She soon eased into his arms as soon as she got over her initial shock brought upon by the sudden gesture. The kiss was sweet and full of unspoken communication and understanding. When both of them needed to break the kiss because of the stupid need for air, they settled on putting their foreheads together.

"I thought I'd lose you again. I was so scared." Jellal confessed with his voice breaking.

"I'm here now. All thanks to you." Erza replied hoping to placate the distress Jellal is going through. "But why are you here? How did you find me?"

"Long story. You should know that the whole of Fairy Tail is here, fighting Tartarus. I'm here with Meredy and Oracion Seis who I was able to recruit in joining Crime Sorciere." Jellal supplied Erza with the recent developments. She listened in disbelief as Jellal started explaining everything that led up to that moment. If her guild is here, then she doesn't have any right to be lying around and not kicking demon ass. _I have to help._ That's all Erza could think of while patiently waiting for Jellal to finish his story.

"Let's go." The requip mage said as she jumped off the table when Jellal had finished. Before they reached the door, Erza had already requipped into her normal armor. Jellal knew better than to question Erza's decision. He knows full well that she wouldn't leave her comrades to fight Tartarus just because she's heavily injured. No, not even death could stop her from protecting those she love. It's one of the things he admired about the great Titania. Reaching for her hand, he pulled her closer to give her another kiss. This time, it was not as long. It was a kiss to let her know that he will follow her and protect her at all cost. Erza seemed to understand what he's trying to say and kissed back with the same vigour. Breaking the kiss and staring intently into each other's eyes, they walked out the room to meet up with Meredy and started running towards the hole where the battle for the future is being waged.


End file.
